As you know, at St Matthews we see our high standard of uniform as one of the many important factors that contributes to our culture of excellence. It is my belief that, when students take pride in how they present themselves, it has a flow on effect to the pride they take in their school work and their life at school more broadly.

Our current uniform policy guides the decisions we make each day regarding how to maintain this high standard. The policy has been in place since 2015 and is, therefore, definitely due for review. Reflecting on and reviewing a significant policy such as this requires a broad consultation process and an opportunity for all stakeholders to contribute to the discussion. Over the remainder of this year, therefore, we will be engaging in a comprehensive process to gather feedback on our current Uniform Policy and discern any modifications or updates that may be warranted. Please note, we are not proposing a change of uniform. We are only conducting a review of the policy regarding how the uniform is to be worn.

The formal consultation process will commence in June and will involve the distribution of surveys to families, students, staff and parishioners as well as the formation of various focus groups to provide the opportunity to listen to the views of key stakeholders. This will be followed by the establishment of a working party who will be responsible for reflecting on the feedback and identifying issues for consideration. The intention is to have any proposed changes to the policy clarified by the end of this school year with the new policy to be published and implemented at the commencement of the 2025 school year.

Please keep an eye out for further communication about this policy review process. I strongly encourage all families to take the opportunity to contribute to the discussion on this important part of our school culture.

Our Catholic Faith Handbook

The Council of Catholic School Parents has released its 2024 handbook, Our Catholic Faith, to assist parents and families in understanding the Catholic beliefs, celebrations, and prayers that form the foundation of Catholic schools. It serves as a resource for all parents, especially those unfamiliar with Catholic traditions, offering insights into the basics of Catholic beliefs, celebrations, symbols, and prayers. The handbook can be found here to read more on the CCSP website.

God bless

Angela Myles

Each term during Week 5 we highlight the importance with our students, staff and families of looking after yourself and your wellbeing. Week 5 is our Wellbeing Week each term where no homework is given to students and we encourage our community to spend this extra time with family, enjoying hobbies or whatever helps with your mental, spiritual, physical and emotional health. Students are encouraged to check in with one another, particularly during this week, and focus on the positives of every day.

Monday morning was the beginning of National Reconciliation Week and we were fortunate to welcome Uncle Ralph Naden to St Matthews to explain the significance of the Reconciliation Week and share his message of always looking forward. We began the morning with a ‘Smoking Ceremony’ prior to Uncle Ralph sharing his knowledge and experiences growing up as an Indigenous man in NSW. The artifacts he brought to school, his dancing, stories of his Indigenous culture and involvement of students during his presentation was very well received. Reconciliation Week at St Matthews will conclude on Friday with a special Mass with Bishop Michael from 11am at St Mary of the Presentation Church.

Justin Yeo

Trinity Sunday and Reconciliation Week

The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey. Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The Catholic Church ponders with joy and thanksgiving what the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have done to accomplish the salvation of humanity. The Trinity evokes the theme of community and relationships and restoring human relationships as a part of God’s reconciling mission in our world.

One God, yet a community of persons.

What kind of wonderful creatures might we become if, in the fellowship of the church, we begin to model ourselves not on individualism but on God’s community, as symbolised by the Trinity?

This week and always may we work together to fulfil God’s purpose for us all.

Your relationship with God as expressed through the Trinity is the key to building loving relationships with those who are different. The love we are able to share comes from God’s love for us and we have Christ’s example to follow, but we need the Spirit to guide us on our way.

St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal

Our SMW Value for Term 2 is Compassion. It just so happens to coincide with our annual St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal which launches next week.

President of the St Mary’s Conference of SVdP Carol Jones shared this with us:

Since June 2022 to May 2024, we at St Mary’s Conference have assisted over 200 families with care and support, we have also assisted 50 new clients whose ages range from 16 to 85 years. As a result of the ongoing support from the St Matthews Community we were able to assist the needy within our community.

Students will be asked to donate an item from the list below if they are able to:

Infants: necessities including cereal, tea, soup, sugar, pasta, rice, shelf milk and pasta sauce.
Year 3, Year 4 and Year 9: Tinned spaghetti
Year 5, 6 and Year 10: Tinned baked beans
Year 7 and Year 8: Tinned soup
Year 11: Tinned fruit
Year 12: Tinned vegetable

Students in Years 5-12 will also be able to participate in a sleep out on Thursday 4th July. Further information will be shared.

Ross McKeown

Leader of Mission K-12

Western Region NSWRU 7's Finals Day

On Wednesday, two Year 5 and 6 Primary 7's Rugby teams travelled to Orange to compete in the Western Region NSWRU 7's Finals Day.

Both teams showed tremendous fight but unfortunately could only manage one win. Their loss that relegated them to the plate round was against the eventual 1st ranked team in OPS.

Team 1 came away with a draw and two solid wins in the pool stages, and after finishing 4th in the standings, they would play OPS in the semi final. Running out convincing winners against OPS, Team 1 booked themselves a spot in the final against McAuley. McAuley showed early fight, scoring twice and holding onto a lead into the second half that the boys couldn't peg back, losing 29-26 in the final.

After progressing to the final, our 1st Team secured a spot in the State Finals to be held next week in Sydney. Well done to Team 1. It is a great achievement.

Thank you to all parents who travelled and supported their children on the day, and a special thank you to Rod Loneragan, who managed the team.

Ross McKeown

Infants and Primary Athletics Carnival

The primary and infants school athletics carnival was a resounding success, marked by enthusiastic participation and impressive displays of sportsmanship from students of all ages. The event, which featured a variety of track and field activities, saw high levels of engagement, with children eagerly competing and cheering for their peers. The event not only fostered a spirit of camaraderie and healthy competition but also provided a platform for young athletes to showcase their talents. Parents, teachers, and volunteers played crucial roles in ensuring the day's smooth execution, making it a memorable and enjoyable experience for the entire school community.

Adam Coughlan

K-6 Sports Coordinator

The use of affective statements are one of the ways we work restoratively with students at school. Our staff will be learning more about restorative practice and how to implement it in our school with Sheila Bollard from Real Schools at our next professional learning day on Friday 7th June.

The Brain and Behaviour

Monitoring Online Usage

Excessive screen time, internet usage and social media activity can have a profound impact on young people. School TV dives into the dangers and harms of excessive usage whilst giving you practical advice as a parent to help!

For children and teenagers, there is no doubt that the Internet can be an excellent resource for information, communication and entertainment, but more and more Australian parents are concerned about excessive time online.

Today’s youth are the early settlers in a remarkable new world. Unfortunately, parents feel as though they are shut out of this world, often not knowing, nor understanding, what happens in this online environment.

It is up to parents to monitor, not just what their children do online, but also the length of time they spend online. Many of the online games children play have parental controls. However, parents do not always choose to use them. Banning is not the answer. A better strategy is to give kids access, but be informed, set some rules, monitor and supervise. To ignore this responsibility could create significant psychological and social problems for their children in years to come.

For more information on Internet Addiction, please follow the link 

Dillon Price

K-12 Leader of Wellbeing

Real Talk Webinar

Real Talk provides seminars, reflection days and up-to-date resources for young people on topics relating to identity, eSafety, relationships, love, sex and marriage. They speak to over 40,000 students each year including schools throughout the Bathurst Diocese.

Having engaged with our Year 5 and Year 10 students in retreat days last term, they are now offering a webinar titled 'Respectful Relationships' for all parents to view on Monday the 3rd of June at 6.30pm.

The topic 'Respectful Relationship' is something, as we know, that our young people are faced with more than ever, and parents often find it difficult to deal with, or even speak about with their children.

As a school community we would like to extend an invitation for parents to view this webinar on site, at St Matthews Primary Campus, if you wish, to assist with technical issues or simply to offer the chance to discuss any points raised. Of course you are more than welcome to join the webinar from your own device by logging into Zoom and entering the Zoom ID on the attached flyer.

If you would like to take up this opportunity to view the webinar on site please RSVP by Friday 31st May. Ross McKeown

Ross McKeown

Leader of Missions

Rock Band Performance Invitation

We would like to invite the parents of students in the Creative Arts Club to join us for the Rock Band Performance.  Please be seated in the gym by 9:05.

John Freebody

Creative Arts Club Teacher

On Friday 17th May Year 2 went on their first ever excursion! There was much excitement about the buses, travel and being out of school for the day. We split into two groups and visited Wellington Caves and the Western Plains Cultural Center in Dubbo. We learnt about ancient megafauna at Wellington Caves and how the caves were formed. Did you know they used to hold Mass in the Cathedral cave in the 1800's?

In Dubbo we got to experience an old 1950's style classroom with a great teacher who reenacted what school would have been like back then, even with the cane and ink pens! Thankfully, St Matthews were well behaved and the cane remained retired. We also got to admire some artworks in the gallery and we went on a treasure hunt in the museum.

Year 2 Teachers

Spelling Superstars!

At assembly students received a certificate acknowledging their achievement in our School Stage Spelling Bees. We applaud all students who represented their class and congratulate those who made it to the next level.

Well done to Noah, Tehara, Bonnie and Arlo. We wish you all the best in Wellington.

Mellisa Hunt

Stage 3 Coordinator

This week we have recognised 90 students from our primary school who have an attendance rate at 98% or above, with 40 of these students at 100% attendance. We know that regular attendance establishes a strong foundation for academic growth and personal development. As a school, we understand that students become unwell and do encourage students to remain at home when they are sick however, we believe it is also important for us to celebrate the achievement of excellence in attendance. Our CEDB explains that students from Kindergarten to Year 6 who are below 90% attendance are at high risk of educational failure. If you do have any concerns with your child’s attendance, please speak with your class teacher or contact the Wellbeing Team through the front office.

Maintaining a high school attendance rate, ideally above 95%, is crucial for a student’s academic success and overall development. Here are several reasons why consistent school attendance is important: ● Continuous Learning. Regular attendance ensures that students are consistently exposed to new information and lessons. This continuity is essential for effective learning, as concepts build upon each other over time. ● Development of Learning Skills. School attendance is not only about acquiring knowledge but also about developing essential learning skills. These skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration, are honed through active participation in the learning process. ● Establishment of Routine. Consistent attendance helps students establish a routine, promoting organisational skills and time management. These skills are transferable to various

St Matthews has a Smartwatch and Mobile Phone Policy that was produced through consultation with parents, staff and students. This policy is in place to protect all students at St Matthews with regards to privacy, child protection and limiting distractions whilst in the learning environment of our school.

For our students, Smartwatches are any wearable device that is able to receive and/or send messages, receive and/or make phone calls or have access to the internet.

Unfortunately, multiple issues have arisen this year with children wearing or bringing these devices to school. We have been made aware of students contacting or being contacted by parents during the school day, recording conversations in the playground and taking pictures of other students.

This email is to remind families of our policy and the consequences our students face if failing to adhere as we work in a challenging online world to provide a safe, nurturing environment for our students.

Primary Students:

• Students in Primary are not to bring personal mobile phones or smartwatches to school unless permission from the Executive Principal has been successfully sought by parents who have outlined the health, safety or personal reasons that justify the student being in possession of a mobile phone or smartwatch. In this instance, unless instructed otherwise, mobile phones and/or smartwatches should be handed in to Student Services at the start of the day and collected at the end of the day.
• Students using mobile phones and/or smartwatches outside of this policy will have them turned off, confiscated, and delivered to Student Services where they will be stored securely. Students are responsible for collecting them at the end of the school day. Repeat offenders will not have devices returned until a parent/carer comes to collect it. If a student’s device is confiscated after 1:40pm, it will remain at the office until the end of the next school day. If you need to speak to your child at any time during the school day, please contact the front office.
  Alternatively when children collect their phone or smartwatch at the end of the day, they will be able to use it for messages or changes to afternoon plans.

Justin Yeo

Head of Campus - Primary

To support the busy start and end to our school day, we remind families of a number of strategies put in place that reduce the impact to traffic along Lewis Street and also provide a safe environment for our students. We are currently experiencing issues with the impact on traffic and reinforce with families the need to abide by the processes we have in place. The strategies are supported by Mudgee Police and the Mid-Western Regional Council (MWRC), therefore we ask all families to be aware of the following in the Drop Off & Pick Up Zone:

• Family names displayed on the dashboards of cars in the afternoon.
• Parents and guardians remain in their cars at all times, no exceptions. If you child needs help entering or exiting the car, or needs a hug to say farewell in the morning, please park and support them away from the zone in front of the school.
• If your child is late to pick up in the afternoon, please do a lap and join the end of the queue.

Flexischools is St Matthews Catholic Schools preferred way to order from our canteens. The cut-off time is 9am, please allow yourself enough time to complete an order. An order can be placed the night before or even days in advance.

Orders that are phoned through via reception after 9am will be offered a simple sandwich, a drink and snacks only. No Hot Food will be offered. Credit Card details must be provided at the time, no exceptions. This ensures no further follow up for payment is required.

If parents are experiencing issues with Flexischools, please contact Flexischools directly using the Parent Help Line Number- 1300 361 769 (8am-12pm)

1. Introduction to Flexischools
2. How to Register with Flexischools
3. How to Place an Order (Canteen)
4. How to Place an Order (All Services)
5. How to Top Up Your Flexischools Wallet

Please let your child know if they are having a lunch order and what they are having. Some of our younger students are accidently throwing out their “tokens”. They need the token to redeem any frozen item/ slushie/ special that may have been ordered for them.

Breakfast Menu

Birthday Bucket & Classroom Cupcakes

Alicia Cowden

Primary Canteen Manager

EFTPOS only, no cash.

Enjoy the convenience of online shopping. Save time and energy by ordering your uniforms online in six easy steps:

1. Go to midford.com.au
2. Select St Matthews Catholic School from the Online School Shops tab
3. New users to click the ‘Register New Account’ button
4. Start the registration process by selecting St Matthews Catholic School from the drop-down menu and add the unique school pass phrase: “Matthews1912”
5. Add your personal information, create a username and password
6. Order the items you need, select pick-up in store/deliver to school.

If you have any queries please contact the uniform shop directly:
Phone: 0439 442 509 or Email: st.matthews@midford.com.au

Parents and Carers of new or existing students enrolled in St Matthews can apply for free school bus travel with Ogden's Coaches for every route (except Botobolar and Cudgegong which is serviced by Booth's Bus Service)

• free school travel is available for Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 students no matter how close or far away they are from school.
• if students are not eligible for free bus transportation they can still ride on the bus by paying a fare or by purchasing a book of 10 tickets or a term/annual pass from the Ogden's Coaches office.
• students who changed address or schools must update existing details through the NSW Transport online portal
• if you are unsure whether or not your child has a current bus pass, please contact our office on 6372 2489.
• to travel on our bus service, students must present their bus pass to the bus driver morning and afternoon.

Apply for student bus passes through the Ogden's Coaches website

Select ‘Schools’ tab in top header then select ‘Apply for a New Pass'

Fill in the application form for each child and you will be notified of eligibility via email from Transport NSW. Bus passes will be distrubuted by post to students home address.

Ogden's Coaches - Mudgee

(02) 6372 2489